Articulated snow shovel

ABSTRACT

A shovel has an articulated shovel blade for pivoting movement relative to a wheeled carriage on which the blade is mounted. The shovel blade is adjustably locked in position at different angles relative to the direction of travel of the carriage, for pushing snow or other material to the side of the shovel as it travels across the ground. The carriage is pushed forward using a handle or a motor is provided for self-propelling the carriage.

FIELD AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates generally to the field of manualtools for snow removal and in particular to a new and useful snow shovelhaving an articulating shovel blade mounted to a carriage.

[0002] Snow shovels having a blade and an elongated handle are generallywell known in the art of snow removal tools. Some snow shovels havesharply curved blades, while others are flattened, and still others haveside panels.

[0003] Two types of shovel are particularly common, regardless of thespecific blade or handle. One type is used to lift snow and throw it,while the other type of shovel is used primarily to push snow in frontof it like a plow.

[0004] It is also generally well known that some types of snow can beparticularly heavy, such as wet, slushy snow or icy snow. Attempting toshovel a walkway or driveway covered with wet snow can be difficult formany people because of the weight.

[0005] Many different solutions have been provided for making shovelingeasier. Some of the solutions include adding a handle to a conventionalsingle handle shovel, such as disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 6,343,822. U.S.Pat. No. 6,343,822 teaches a shovel with a second, adjustable handlewhich can be moved from side to side around the main handle shaft toprovide leverage for lifting snow or other material with the shovel.

[0006] Other patents disclose handles and blades which pivot relative toeach other. U.S. Pat. No. 6,290,273, for example, describes a shovelwith a blade that pivots to a greater or lesser angle between the bladesurface and the handle. That is, the shovel blade pivots up and downabout a horizontal axis.

[0007] U.S. Pat. No. 5,984,393 teaches a shovel having a fixed secondhandle near the shovel blade, and a mechanism for allowing the shovelblade to pivot about the main handle. The shovel blade is locked frompivoting until a load of snow has been lifted and is ready to be dumped.Then, a trigger is used to allow the blade to pivot to one side or theother so that the snow is dumped without having to twist the shovelhandles.

[0008] U.S. Pat. No. 813,983 discloses a shovel with the shovel bladepivotally attached to the handle so that the blade can tilt to the leftor right. The blade is connected to the handle by two bolts or screwsarranged vertically aligned. The upper bolt is mounted through anarcuate slot in the shovel blade, while the lower bolt is the pivotpoint. Thus, the edges of the blade can be tilted off horizontal,theoretically to cause snow to move to one side when the shovel is usedas a plow. However, it appears that if the bottom edge is not flat, somesnow would remain behind when using the shovel in this manner.

[0009] A scoop shovel having the scoop blade horizontally pivotableabout a vertical shaft axis is taught by U.S. Pat. No. 2,221,219. Thescoop is moved by a ratchet and pawl mechanism connected to a remotelever at the end of the handle shaft. The scoop is pivotable for usescooping out ashes from a furnace having a small door, whereby theshovel can be inserted through the furnace door, pivoted, ashes scoopedup and the scoop pivoted back for removal from the furnace.

[0010] A snow plow type shovel having an expandable pushing blade isdisclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 6,269,558. The blade has two adjustable wingsconnected to form a “V” with a flat bottom where the handle is attached.The wings can be pivoted to form a greater or smaller acute anglerelative to the handle.

[0011] U.S. Pat. No. 6,334,640 discloses a snow shovel having a rotatinghandle and a single wheel. The handle and wheel are connected to thecenter of the rear of the shovel blade, so that the shovel issymmetrical about a horizontal axis through the center. The handle canbe rotated around the wheel so that the shovel can be f lipped over topermit the other edge of the shovel blade to contact the ground. Theblade does not pivot horizontally relative to the wheel or handle.

[0012] Each of the shovels having a pivoting blade still has the easiestdirection of travel with the shovel being perpendicular to the surf aceof the shovel blade. Alternatively, these shovels result in the handlebeing positioned at an odd angle when the shovel blade is placed squareon the ground, so that it will be difficult to move the shovel. That is,none of the prior shovels provides a means for angling the bladerelative to the direction of movement of the shovel blade, so that itcan truly act as a plow.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0013] It is an object of the present invention to provide a shovelhaving a pivoting blade for moving snow from a sidewalk or driveway.

[0014] It is a further object of the invention to provide a shovel withan adjustably pivoted blade.

[0015] Yet another object of the invention is to provide a wheeledshovel for more easily pushing snow off a driveway or sidewalk.

[0016] Accordingly, a shovel is provided having an articulated shovelblade pivotally attached to a wheeled carriage. The shovel blade can belocked into three or more positions at different angles relative to asupport bar of the carriage. The shovel blade is pivotally mounted tothe support bar with a bracket so that the blade is spaced from thesupport bar and wheels of the carriage. A locking pin passing throughthe bracket and support bar is used to hold the bracket in positionrelative to the support bar. A handle extends upwardly from the supportbar so that a person using the shovel can push it easily in a directionperpendicular to the support bar, even while the shovel blade is angledrelative to the support bar.

[0017] The various features of novelty which characterize the inventionare pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forminga part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention,its operating advantages and specific objects attained by its uses,reference is made to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter inwhich a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] In the drawings:

[0019]FIG. 1 is a top, rear perspective view of a snow shovel accordingto the invention;

[0020]FIG. 2 is a magnified view of the joint between the bracket andsupport of the snow shovel of FIG. 1;

[0021]FIG. 3 is a side elevation view of the shovel of FIG. 1 with thewheels and handle removed;

[0022]FIG. 4 is a top plan view of an alternative support for the snowshovel of FIG. 1;

[0023]FIG. 5 is a top plan view of a second embodiment of a snow shovelaccording to the invention; and

[0024]FIG. 6 is a bottom plan view of a third embodiment of a snowshovel of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0025] Referring now to the drawings, in which like reference numeralsare used to refer to the same or similar elements, FIG. 1 shows anarticulated shovel 10 of the invention with the handle 50 shown having atruncated length. The articulated shovel 10 has a pivotable shovel blade20 connected to a support bar 35 of a carriage 30. A bracket 25pivotally secures the shovel blade 20 to the support bar 35. The bracket25 is joined to the support bar at pivot joint 36. The other ends of thebracket 25 are riveted, welded or fastened with threaded fasteners tothe shovel blade 20.

[0026] The carriage 30 includes support bar 35 extending between a pairof wheels 33 attached to the support bar 35 by axles 32. A handle 50extends upwardly and to the rear from either side of the support bar 35in an inverted “U” for pushing the carriage 30 and shovel blade 20.

[0027]FIG. 2 illustrates the pivot joint 36 connection between thebracket 25 and support bar 35 in greater detail. As shown, the pivotjoint 36 can be formed by a threaded bolt fastened through the supportbar 35 and bracket 36 so as to permit rotational movement between them.When the pivot joint 36 can be non-destructively disassembled, storageof the shovel 10 is made easier, as the blade 20 can be removed tooccupy less space.

[0028] Alternatively, the pivot joint 36 may be formed by a permanentconnector which is arranged to permit relative movement, such as a rivetloosely joining bracket 25 and support bar 35, a bolt and locking cotterpin or a similar shaft and locking fastener combination.

[0029] The pivot joint 36 is held in a pre-determined fixed position bya locking pin 38. As best seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, a locking pin 38 isprovided extending through one of the bracket holes 37 in the bracket 25and a corresponding carriage hole in the support bar 35. The locking pin38 has a larger head than the diameter of the bracket holes 37 so thatthe upper end will not pass through the bracket hole 37 it is insertedinto.

[0030] A number of carriage holes through the support bar 35 arepositioned to align with one or more of the bracket holes 37 when thebracket 25 and shovel blade 20 are pivoted to a particular position. Thelocking pin 38 is then dropped into place through an aligned pair of thebracket holes 37 and carriage holes. The locking pin 38 can be threadedat one end for fastening more securely through the aligned holes, or itmay simply have a length sufficient to prevent it from rising out of thealigned holes during use. For example, an unthreaded locking pin 38 usedwith the shovel 10 may extend about ½ inch past the lower surface of thesupport bar 35.

[0031] The locking pin 38 prevents relative movement of the shovel blade20 and carriage 30 during use. The shovel blade 20 is preferablypositionable in at least three positions—left, right and center. Theleft and right positions orient the shovel blade 20 to push snow off tothe side of the direction of travel of the carriage 30, while the centerposition will push snow straight ahead in advance of the shovel 10. Bylocking the shovel blade 20 position relative to the carriage 30, thecarriage 30 can be pushed straight forward while the shovel bladeremains in a fixed orientation that can be oblique to the direction oftravel.

[0032] Referring again to FIG. 3, a side panel 35 a of support bar 35 isshown having openings 34, 52 for receiving axles 32 and attaching thehandle 50, respectively. The axle opening 34 is preferably slotted sothat the axle 32 may be fixed at different heights to permit adjustmentof the shovel 10 for differences in the blade 20 size. Alternatively,the axle opening 34 can be a simple circular opening for receiving theaxle 32 and affixing the wheel 33 thereto.

[0033] The axles 32 are preferably shafts having a threaded end or holeat the end for passing through axle openings 34 and receiving a fastenersuch as a nut or cotter pin. The shafts permit free rotational movementof the wheels 33 in either direction, while holding them securely to thecarriage 30. Washers and other elements common to such connections maybe used to improve the attachment of the wheels 33 to the carriage 30.

[0034] The handle attachment openings 52 are arranged so that ends ofthe handle 50 can be affixed using threaded connectors. Two openings 52are provided to lend additional strength and rigidity to the connection,while orienting the handle 50 upwardly and to the rear.

[0035] As seen in FIGS. 1 and 3, the bracket 25 can be either a single,unitary piece or two separate pieces joined together. Preferably, thebracket 25 is a single piece bent to form a generally “V”-shaped supportwith the free end of each arm secured to shovel blade 20. The bracket 25preferably lends support to the shovel blade 20 as well as holding it inplace and preventing tilting of the blade forward and backward. While asingle arm bracket 25 could be used, it is not preferred, so as to avoidundesirable movement of the shovel blade 20 relative to the carriage 30.

[0036] The arms of bracket 25 are made sufficiently long so that theshovel blade 20 does not impinge upon the wheels 33 when the blade ispivoted to the extreme left or right lockable position. The lengths ofthe bracket 25 and support bar 35, width of the shovel blade 20, and thediameter of the wheels 33 will all affect the length of the bracket 25required to use the shovel blade 20 at a particular angle relative tothe direction of travel of the carriage 30. In a preferred embodiment,the wheels 33 have a diameter of about 4 inches, the support bar 35 isabout 24 inches long, the shovel blade is about 30 inches wide and thesupport bracket 25 arms extend about 8 inches forward. The shovel blade20 is preferably longer than the total length of the support bar 35 withthe wheels 33, so that snow directly ahead of the wheels 33 is removedto avoid leaving packed snow from the wheel tracks.

[0037] The dimensions are preferably set to permit positioning theshovel blade 20 at left and right maximum angles of between 5-45°, andmore preferably maximum angles between 15-35°. While the support bar 35may have several carriage openings 39 for aligning with correspondingbracket openings 37, preferably at least three carriage openings 39 areprovided for holding the bracket 25 and shovel blade 20 at threedifferent angles relative to the support bar 35. The three angles arepreferably one position being with the shovel blade 20 parallel to thesupport bar 35 and carriage 30 (centered), one position angled to theleft at between 5-45°, and the third position angled to the right atbetween 5-45°. The carriage hole 39 positions to each side of center maybe arranged symmetric or asymmetric, but symmetry is preferred so thatthe shovel is equally useful for either side.

[0038]FIG. 4 illustrates an embodiment of the support bar 35 having fivedifferent carriage holes 39 for aligning with the bracket holes 37 toposition the shovel blade 20. The bracket 25 may include five bracketholes 37 (such shown in FIG. 5), each one aligning with a different oneof the carriage holes 39. Alternatively, the carriage holes 39 may allbe positioned so as to align with a single bracket hole 37 for lockingwith a locking pin 38.

[0039]FIG. 5 shows an alternate embodiment of the shovel 10 in whichhandle 50 is connected extending from the top of support bar 35. Thehandle 50 has an “I” or “T” shape, with a pair of handle grips 55extending horizontally at the far end of handle shaft 57. The bottom endof the handle 50 can be secured using wings 59 to attach to the supportbar 35. In a further alternative, the handle 50 does not include thehorizontal handle grips, and instead has only handle shaft 57 extendingupwardly to the rear of the shovel blade 20, similar to a conventionalshovel.

[0040] A motorized version of the snow shovel 10 is illustrated in FIG.6. The support bar 35 is shown looking at the bottom, where a motor 90and battery 92 are mounted. A pair of wheels 33 are connected to themotor 90 by axles 80 for directly driving the wheels. The motor 90 ispreferably an electric motor, but a gas powered motor may be usedinstead, and battery 92 can be replaced by a gas tank. The motor 90 ispreferably activated by a switch 98 either mounted on the top surface ofsupport bar 35 (not shown) or connected by a wire 95 and secured at theupper end of handle 50 for easier activation.

[0041] The self-propelled snow shovel 10 shown in FIG. 6 is easilyoperated by persons of any strength with minimal effort. And, unlike asnow blower, the shovel 10 does not have any whirling blades which canpresent a significant hazard if not used properly.

[0042] As seen in FIG. 6, wheels 33 are mounted inside the side panels35 a of the support bar 35. The side panels 35 a do not need to bepresent when the wheels are mounted to the motor 90, but can be providedto shield the wheels 33.

[0043] As will be appreciated from the foregoing, both the manual andself-propelled versions of the shovel 10 are easily used to push snowfrom a driveway or walkway to the side of the area being cleared. Theshovel blade 20 is oriented to one side or the other in a preferred modeof use, so as to direct snow to the so-angled side as the carriage 30 ismoved straight forward. The shovel 10 permits the shovel blade 20 to beangled relative to the direction of movement without requiring a user toperform awkward movements. Similarly, a user need not strain to maintainthe angled direction of the shovel blade 20 relative to the direction oftravel.

[0044] The shovel 10 is easily adjusted to change the angle of the blade20 relative to the direction of travel as well. In the preferredembodiment, the locking pin 38 is removed, the blade 20 repositioned andthe pin 38 reinserted in a different pair of aligned bracket andcarriage holes 37, 39.

[0045] As can be understood from the foregoing, the shovel 10 is veryeasily dismantled and stored or parts are easily removed and replaced.The ease of replacement for each of the parts makes the shovel 10economical, and, by replacing parts which wear more quickly, such as theblade 20, the shovel 10 can have a long useful life. Further, thestorage space occupied by the shovel 10 when it is taken apart issignificantly less than when it is assembled ready for use.

[0046] It should be noted as well that while the wheels 33 are shown atthe outside ends of the support bar 35 in FIGS. 1-5, they can also bemounted on axles 32 to the inside of side panels 35 a. The side panels35 a or similar depending support should be made sufficiently long toaccommodate the wheel diameter selected for free rotation and avoidingcontact with the support bar 35.

[0047] The carriage 30 may have more than two wheels 33 as well. Forexample, a rectangular frame including the support bar 35 may be used tomount three or four wheels to add stability to the shovel 10.

[0048] And, although the carriage 30 is shown as being manuallymotivated or having its own motor 90, it is envisioned that the snowshovel blade 20 and bracket 25 can be mounted to the front of aself-propelled lawn mower. The bracket can be mounted using a supportbar 35 and side panels 35 a to position the shovel blade in a similarmanner as with the wheeled carriage 30. For example, the side panels 35a could attach to the self-propelled lawn mower at the front wheels.

[0049] A different tool head could be substituted for the shovel blade20 if desired, for use in other applications. For example, a rake head,a grader or a furrowing tool could be mounted to carriage 30 instead.

[0050] While a specific embodiment of the invention has been shown anddescribed in detail to illustrate the application of the principles ofthe invention, it will be understood that the invention may be embodiedotherwise without departing from such principles.

What is claimed is:
 1. A snow shovel comprising: a support bar; a pairof wheels rotatably attached to each end of the support bar; a bracketpivotally connected to the support bar; a shovel blade fixedly attachedto the bracket for pivoting motion with the bracket relative to thesupport bar; means for locking the position of the shovel blade relativeto the support bar; and a handle attached to the support bar for pushingthe support bar and shovel blade in a forward direction to push snow orother material ahead of the shovel blade.
 2. A snow shovel according toclaim 1, wherein the means for locking comprises a locking pininsertable through aligned openings in each of the support bar and thebracket.
 3. A snow shovel according to claim 2, wherein the openings inthe support bar comprise carriage openings, there being at least threecarriage openings in the support bar.
 4. A snow shovel according toclaim 3′ wherein the openings in the bracket comprise bracket openings,there being at least three bracket openings in the bracket.
 5. A snowshovel according to claim 4, wherein each of the at least three carriageopenings is positioned to align with one of the at least three bracketopenings for inserting the locking pin therethrough.
 6. A snow shovelaccording to claim 1, wherein the shovel blade is pivotable to form amaximum angle of up to 45° with the support bar.
 7. A snow shovelaccording to claim 1, wherein the handle and bracket are each detachablefrom the support bar for storage.
 8. A snow shovel for plowing snow offa driveway or walkway, the snow shovel comprising: a carriage having apair of wheels supporting the carriage for moving along the driveway orwalkway; a bracket pivotally mounted to the carriage; a shovel bladeattached to the bracket and being pivotable with the bracket relative tothe carriage to orient the shovel blade at an acute angle relative tothe carriage; and means for locking the shovel blade in at least onepivoted position relative to the carriage.
 9. A snow shovel according toclaim 8, further comprising a handle attached to the carriage.
 10. Asnow shovel according to claim 8, wherein the means for lockingcomprises a locking pin insertable through aligned openings in each ofthe carriage and the bracket.
 11. A snow shovel according to claim 10,wherein the openings in the carriage comprise carriage openings, therebeing at least three carriage openings.
 12. A snow shovel according toclaim 11, wherein the openings in the bracket comprise bracket openings,there being at least three bracket openings in the bracket.
 13. A snowshovel according to claim 12, wherein each of the at least threecarriage openings is positioned to align with one of the at least threebracket openings for inserting the locking pin therethrough.
 14. A snowshovel according to claim 8, wherein the shovel blade is pivotable toform a maximum angle of up to 45° with the carriage.
 15. A snow shovelaccording to claim 8, wherein the bracket is removable from the carriagefor storage.
 16. A snow shovel according to claim 8, wherein thecarriage comprises a support bar, and motor means mounted to the supportbar for driving the wheels.
 17. A snow shovel according to claim 16,wherein the motor means comprises an electric motor, a batteryelectrically connected to power the electric motor and axles extendingfrom the electric motor carrying the wheels.
 18. A snow shovel accordingto claim 16, further comprising a switch for activating or deactivatingthe motor means.
 19. A snow shovel comprising: a support bar; a pair ofwheels; motor means mounted on the support bar for driving at least oneof the pair of wheels, the wheels rotatably connected to one of themotor means and the support bar; a bracket pivotally connected to thesupport bar; a shovel blade fixedly attached to the bracket for pivotingmotion with the bracket relative to the support bar; means for lockingthe position of the shovel blade relative to the support bar; and ahandle attached to the support bar for directing the support bar andshovel blade.
 20. A snow shovel according to claim 19, wherein the motormeans comprises an electric motor and a battery.
 21. A snow shovelaccording to claim 20, further comprising a switch electricallyconnected to the electric motor for turning the motor on and off.
 22. Asnow shovel according to claim 19, wherein the means for lockingcomprises a locking pin insertable through aligned openings in each ofthe support bar and the bracket.
 23. A snow shovel according to claim22, wherein the openings in the support bar comprise carriage openings,there being at least three carriage openings in the support bar.
 24. Asnow shovel according to claim 23, wherein the openings in the bracketcomprise bracket openings, there being at least three bracket openingsin the bracket.
 25. A snow shovel according to claim 24, wherein each ofthe at least three carriage openings is positioned to align with one ofthe at least three bracket openings for inserting the locking pintherethrough.
 26. A snow shovel according to claim 19, wherein theshovel blade is pivotable to form a maximum angle of up to 45° with thesupport bar.
 27. A snow shovel according to claim 19, wherein the handleand bracket are each detachable from the support bar for storage.